Ngā Ara Tipuna Cultural Project wins major Heritage Award

Ngā Ara Tipuna is a pā site interpretation project showcasing the network of seven historic pā sites located In the Waipukurau-Takapau area of Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay.

A pā site interpretation project in Hawke’s Bay was the supreme winner at the inaugural 2022 Heritage Awards.

On Wednesday, people gathered from across the Hawke’s Bay region to attend the awards at Hastings Assembly Ballroom, where praise was heaped on the winner, Ngā Ara Tipuna, Waipukurau-Takapau.

Ngā Ara Tipuna is a pā site interpretation project which showcases the network of seven historic pā sites located In the Waipukurau-Takapau area of Tamatea/Central Hawke’s Bay.

A cultural and educational storytelling tour has now been created, marrying the historic pā sites with technology, to share a history and the stories of the people that is unique to Tamatea/Central Hawke’s Bay.

A self-guided driving tour with storyboards, incredible views and on-site access to digital storytelling has brought seven historic pā to life.

The heritage awards' supreme winner was the cultural heritage project Ngā Ara Tipuna, Waipukurau-Takapau.

This significant cultural heritage project includes the creation of carvings, digital storytelling and displays to engage visitors and locals through sharing stories of the hapu of Ngai Tahu ki Takapau, Ngāi Toroiwaho, Ngaī Te Rangitotohu, Ngāti Marau, Ngāi Te Kikiri-o-te-rangi and Ngāti Parakiore and their relationship with the land.

The awards are a significant new regional showcase, designed to recognise and celebrate those whose talents and energies preserve Hawke’s Bay’s heritage landscape.

“The people who called Te Matau a Māui / Hawke’s Bay home in the past have left their mark on the place we all call home today through their sites of significance, the places they built, the artefacts they left behind and the stories they told,” said Barbara Arnott, chair of Historic Places Hawke’s Bay and Art Deco Trust, and one of the organisers of the event.

“Their legacies gift us today our sense of place, our sense of belonging and our sense of identity. They tell the stories of our past and our progress as a region.

“The awards are the opportunity to recognise the hugely talented people and organisations throughout Hawke’s Bay who preserve and conserve this vital heritage for all of us to enjoy and experience.”

Awards were given in eight categories.

Winners in each category received a handcrafted award commissioned for the awards programme by acclaimed Hawke’s Bay artist Ema Scott.